SENATOR FUSCHILLO STATEMENT ON GOVERNOR CUOMO’S STATE OF THE STATE

“Governor Cuomo’s State of the State message focused on a number of issues which I believe are critical to putting New York State back on the right track; cutting spending, no new taxes, and creating jobs.

The Governor is calling for both a property tax cap and a cap on state spending, two initiatives which I have supported for years and voted in favor of when they came before the Senate for a vote. We can’t fix our economy and provide tax relief without getting spending under control.

Governor Cuomo is right to reform the Medicaid program, which currently costs New York taxpayers an unsustainable one billion dollars a week. I have long called for Medicaid reforms, including stronger measures to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicaid program, which could provide substantial savings to the state. The Governor is creating a Medicaid Design Team, and I hope they will take a close look at these reforms and find ways to make Medicaid operate more cost efficiently while still providing quality service.

Governor Cuomo also pledged not to raise taxes, something with which I wholeheartedly agree. With Long Islanders paying some of the highest taxes in the entire country, they are overtaxed, overburdened, and can’t afford to keep paying more.

The Governor also talked about several new proposals to help create jobs. With over 106,000 Long Islanders out of work, creating jobs is vital to our economic recovery.

I'm extremely pleased that Governor Cuomo is focusing on these important goals and I look forward to working with him to make them a reality.”